Coupling-release rigging



C. W. NICHOLAS.

OOUPUNG RELEASE HIGGINS. APrucmon mm 6.23. 1911.

Patented Nov. 25, 1919.

UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES NIGHOHAW OE TABENfl-UM, PENNSMLVANIIA, ASSIGNQBI TO WALTER P. MURPHY, E CHICAGO; ILLINQIS:

COUPLING-RELEASE RIQGING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

l aten'ted Nov. 25, 1919.

Application filed August 23, 1917. Serial No. 187,785.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES 1V. N101!- oLAs, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Tarentum, in the county of 5 Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new usefiil Improvements in Coupling-Release Rigging, of which the following is a specification.

My invention resides in certain improve 0 ments in the construction of release ri ging pin lifting link to the crank of the operating rod.

Most of the railroads have cars equipped with What is known as the chain lifting release mechanlsm, wherein a rod is revolubly mounted in closed brackets on the end of a car, said rod having a crank at its inner end which extends outwardlyv from the end of the car, the outer end of said crank usually havi an eye disposed at right angles to the 2 draw 'ar, the lock pin of, the coupler being connected to the outer end of the crank by means of a chain having clevises, pins and cotters;

This chain connection between the lever and lock pin is objectionable because of the fact. that the links of the chain frequently become entangled whereby a defective operation of the releasing mechanism is brought about. The objection to the chain connection has been solved in many ways but in the solution of this problem the entire release rigging mechanism was reconstructed and it became necessary for the railroads to dis cardthetold'rod which was mounted on the 40 car and the discarding ofthese old rods resulted inn very material loss and expense to the railroads.

In the patent above referred to isshown the first practical solution of a substitution for the chain, of a rigid connection between the lock pin and the crank of the old operating rod but in the construction of said patented device it has been found that the use of a bolt with a cotter pin subjects the device to some defects, that is to say the parts are apt to become loose and lost whereupon the device would become inoperative.

If the rigid link shown is applied to the operating rod in a shop it would necessitate t e use of open brackets on the end of the car or the removal of the closed brackets from the car, therefore one of the objects of my invention is to apply the pin lifting link, th the crank of the operating rod securely and against accitilcntal displacement, eliminate the necessity of purchasing open brackets, or the expense of removing closed brackets from the car.

The principal object of my invention is to secure a rigid pin lifting link. of the general character illustrated, to an operating rod while it is mounted in closed brackets on the car, in such a manner that the link is socurely attached to the operating rod against accidental displacement.

Another object of my invention is to provide means whereby the rigid pin lifting link is firmly secured against accidental dis placement to the operating rod, while said rod is secured on the car, and at the same time leave the pin lifting link free to slide relatively to the operating rod.

A further object ofmy invention is to rivet the rigidpin lifting lever to the crank of an operating rod in such a manner that the link is free to slide relatively to the operating rod.

A further object of my invention is to secure the pin lifting link against accidental displacement to the operating rod by means of a rivet and provide means on said rivet whereby the under face of the upset rivet head is spaced from the face of the link, whereby the link is free to move relatively to. the operating rod; a further object of m 1 invention is to provide a pin lifting link having an elongated vertically disposed slot in its upper end, and secure the link to the operating rod by passing a rivet through an eye in the operating rod and through said slot and providing the rivet with an abutment, spaced from the plane of the outer face of the link against which abutment the end of the rivet is upset, whereby the inner face of the upset head. of the rivet is spaced from the upper end of the link, so that the link is free to move relatively to the operating rod; and with these and other objects in view my invention consists of the parts and combination of parts as will be hereinafter set forth.

In the drawing Figure 1 is a side elevation of a coupler release rigging embodying m invention.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation o the same.

and thus Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevation of the link attached to the operating rod.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged front elevation of the link, the operating rod being shown inlower end with suitable hook 5, which may be of the type shown in the patent to Gilpin 1,181,952 or any approved design. The upper portion of the link 4 is formed of two side members 5 and 6 connected at the top by the spacing member 7 whereby a housing is formed to receive the outer end portion of the operating rod 8 as clearly shown in Fig. l. lhe said members :5 and G are each pro ided with an elongated slot 9 extending lengthwise ol' the link as clearly shown in Fig. 3.

A rivet lU having a head 11 is passed through the eye in the inner end of the operating rod and through the elongated slots 9 of the pin lifting link and said rivet is provided at its other end with a reduced portion 12, and a shoulder or abutment 13, which shoulder 01' abutment is at the junc ture of the reduced portion 12 and the main body of the rivet when the parts are assembled this shoulder 13 is spaced beyond the vertical plane of the said member 6 and a washer or other abutment 14: is positioned on the reduted portion 12 and abuts against the shoulder 13 thereby constituting an abutment which is spaced from the outer l'aec of the said member 6 of the link, against which the reduced portion 12 may be upset to form a head for the rivet. The abutment .acts as a spacing member whereby the under face of the upset or riveted head is spaced from the outer face of the link 4, whereby the link is free to move relatively to the operating rod 8, notwithstanding the parts are riveted together. By reason of the washer 14, shoulder 13 and reduced por tion 12, I am enabled to obtain a compara tively small rivet head which can be easily driven cold by manual labor and thereby dis ense with power hammers, whereby the lifting link may be readily attached against accidental displacement to the operating rod, while the operating rod is secured to the car.

It will be readily seen that by reason of the construction shown and described there is no danger of the said members 5 and 6, and the housing constituted thereb being collapsed or pressed toward each ot ier and binding the link to the operating rod against relative movement. 7

It will also be seen that by reason 01' the r-onslrimtion shown and described it is not necessary to make the eye in the inner end oi. the operating 10d, and the slots of the link, of materially larger diameter than the diameter of the body of the rivet, whereby 1 am enabled to use a rivet of maximum diameter.

It will also be seen that by reason of the rilh'l l'illlillili shown and described that the link can be attached to the operating rod without special tools and that all of the parts are secured against :uzcidental displacement, \rln-i'ob v the loss of parts, and likelihood oi Llullhlgc aloe lo the loss of parts, is eliminated.

ll hat I claim i,

A lock pin lifting link adapted to have an uncoupling lever and lock pin of a conpler connected therewith and including a housing the side walls of which are spaced from the lever and have elongated slots, a rivet oi a length greater than the outside transverse dimension of the housing, terminating at one end in a reduced portion, a shoulder at right angles to the axes of the reduced portion, the distance between the shoulder and the under face of the head of the rim: being greater than the outside dimen 'iou of the housinuhood, a washer on the reduced portion, wliereby the rivet may be passed through the housing and its other and upset against the Washer Without diS- torting the housing, whereby the link is free to move bodily vertically relatively to the rivet and whereby the lower end of the link is free to move to accommodate the service movements of the coupler without imposing strains upon the parts.

In the testimony whereof I afiix my signature in the presence of a Witness.

CHARL LS W. NICHOLAS.

W itness C. M. GoLnINoER. 

